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I. Simple extracts of raw navy (haricot) beans (Phmeolus vulguris L.) known to be toxic to conventional Japanese quail (Coturnix cotumix ju$onicu) have been fractionated and tested for toxicity by feeding to this species.2. Of the various fractions obtained during the biochemical purification of the phytohaemagglutinin, only those possessing agglutinating activity were found to be toxic.3. The final purification stage yielded an homogeneous protein with both agglutinating and toxic properties.

Miniaturized methods for the characterization of streptococci, lactobacilli and aerobic Gram negative rods are described and the results obtained with 461 cultures from the calf rumen and quail gut tabulated. The methods afford a considerable saving in time and materials without concomitant loss of accuracy.

Subclinical peritoneal and yolk sac infections were demonstrated in about 38 and 23 per cent, respectively, of 121 conventional chicks examined during the first 5 days of life; the incidence varied markedly from hatch to hatch. Organisms were demonstrated in the peritoneum and yolk sac of a proportion of gnotobiotic chicks following per os administration of pure cultures of bacteria isolated either from the peritoneum or yolk sac, or from the intestinal tract of conventional chickens. It is concluded that this subclinical infection arises as a result of the translocation across the gut wall of bacteria present in the lumen of the intestine.

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